In a landmark judgment that marks a major step toward transparency in one of India’s most competitive examinations, the Supreme Court has approved the Union Public Service Commission’s (UPSC) decision to publish provisional answer keys immediately after the Civil Services Preliminary Examination. The move allows candidates to submit objections before final results are declared—ending decades of secrecy surrounding the process.
A bench comprising Justices P.S. Narasimha and A.S. Chandurkar gave its nod to the UPSC’s revised policy while disposing of multiple petitions challenging the Commission’s earlier practice of delayed disclosure of answer keys and cut-off marks.
The Court welcomed the UPSC’s move as a "conscious and well-considered decision", made after extensive internal deliberation. The bench also noted that this change aligns with the principles of fairness, transparency, and accountability, and will help address longstanding concerns raised by aspirants.
The ruling comes in response to legal action initiated by civil services aspirants Vidushi Pandey and Himanshu Kumar, who had petitioned the Court to direct UPSC to disclose answer keys and cut-off marks promptly after the Preliminary Examination. They argued that the previous policy—wherein these details were withheld until the entire recruitment process concluded—deprived aspirants of a fair opportunity to assess their performance and improve in future attempts.
Reacting to the decision, Vidushi Pandey described the ruling as a "historic victory for millions of civil service aspirants." In a statement to ANI, she said, “For the first time, UPSC will release a provisional answer key right after the Preliminary Examination, allowing candidates to raise objections and ensure fairness before results are declared. This reform enhances transparency, restores faith in the examination process, and safeguards the hard work of aspirants who devote years to this exam.”
In its counter-affidavit submitted to the Court, UPSC formally committed to publishing provisional answer keys shortly after the Prelims. This marks a significant policy shift. Until 2023, the Commission had maintained that marks, cut-offs, and answer keys would only be made public after the final stage—interviews—was completed.
The shift in policy comes after years of recommendations from Parliamentary Committees and the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) urging UPSC to adopt greater transparency. Despite repeated appeals, the Commission had resisted change until these petitions prompted judicial intervention.
The Court had earlier appointed Senior Advocate Jaideep Gupta as amicus curiae to assist with the matter and had instructed that the petitions be shared with him for expert input.
With the Supreme Court’s order on Tuesday, the long-standing debate on examination transparency has been decisively resolved. The ruling is expected to set a national precedent, not just for UPSC but for other competitive examinations across the country. It promises to bring real-time accountability to a process undertaken by lakhs of aspirants every year, giving them a fair chance to contest inaccuracies and build confidence in the integrity of the selection process.